The days blurred into a tense, carefully controlled routine.
Guàn Jǐngchén left for the office early every morning and returned late, carrying the weight of board meetings, whispered rumors, and the constant pressure to explain his relationship with the man the entire company now viewed with suspicion. He barely spoke about work when he came home. Instead, he would find Lin Yuè waiting — quiet, obedient, and heartbreakingly soft in one of his oversized shirts.
And every night, the same pattern repeated.
That evening was no exception.
The moment Guàn Jǐngchén stepped through the door, he dropped his jacket and pulled Lin Yuè against him without a word. The kiss was immediate, deep, and demanding. His hands shoved under the shirt, gripping bare skin as he walked Lin Yuè backward toward the bedroom.
"You've been good?" he asked against Lin Yuè's mouth, voice low and rough.
"Yes," Lin Yuè breathed. "I didn't leave. I waited for you."
Guàn Jǐngchén made a satisfied sound and pushed him onto the bed. He stripped Lin Yuè efficiently, then removed only his own trousers before crawling over him.
No foreplay this time.
He slicked himself quickly and thrust inside in one hard stroke. Lin Yuè gasped sharply, back arching at the sudden fullness. Guàn Jǐngchén set a punishing rhythm immediately — deep, fast, and unrelenting.
"Every day at the office," Guàn Jǐngchén growled between thrusts, "they look at me like I'm a fool for keeping you here. Like I should have thrown you out the moment I found out."
Lin Yuè moaned, legs wrapping around the CEO's waist, taking every powerful thrust. "I'm sorry… I never wanted to embarrass you."
Guàn Jǐngchén's hand gripped Lin Yuè's hip hard enough to bruise as he drove deeper. "You didn't just embarrass me. You destroyed my trust."
He fucked him harder, the sound of skin slapping skin filling the room. Lin Yuè's moans turned into broken whimpers as pleasure mixed with the sting of every brutal thrust.
Guàn Jǐngchén leaned down, biting Lin Yuè's shoulder as he came with a low groan, filling him deeply. Lin Yuè followed seconds later, spilling between their bodies with a soft cry.
They stayed connected for several long minutes afterward.
Guàn Jǐngchén finally pulled out and rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. Lin Yuè curled against his side without being asked, head resting on the CEO's chest.
The silence stretched.
"I had another meeting with the board today," Guàn Jǐngchén said eventually, voice flat. "They want me to distance myself from you. Publicly. They think it's damaging the company's reputation."
Lin Yuè's fingers tightened on Guàn Jǐngchén's shirt.
"What did you tell them?"
"I told them to go to hell."
Lin Yuè lifted his head, eyes searching the older man's face.
"You're still protecting me," he whispered. "Even now."
Guàn Jǐngchén's jaw clenched. He looked away.
"Don't mistake this for forgiveness," he said coldly. "I'm keeping you here because I can't stand the thought of you being out there alone. Not because I've forgotten what you did."
Lin Yuè nodded, lowering his gaze. "I know."
Guàn Jǐngchén turned his head and stared at him for a long moment. Then he pulled Lin Yuè on top of him, hands gripping his hips.
"Ride me," he ordered quietly. "Slow this time."
Lin Yuè obeyed, straddling him and sinking down onto his cock with a soft gasp. He moved slowly, rolling his hips in a deliberate rhythm, eyes locked on Guàn Jǐngchén's face the entire time.
Guàn Jǐngchén watched him with dark, conflicted eyes — one hand on Lin Yuè's hip, the other resting on his thigh.
"You look so innocent like this," he murmured, almost to himself. "Even after everything."
Lin Yuè leaned down and kissed him softly, continuing the slow, deep movements.
"I'm still the same person you fell in love with," he whispered against his lips. "The one who trembles when you touch me. The one who says your name like a prayer. That part was never fake."
Guàn Jǐngchén's grip tightened. He thrust up to meet Lin Yuè's movements, the pace gradually increasing until they both came again — quieter this time, more emotional.
Afterward, Guàn Jǐngchén held Lin Yuè against his chest, one hand stroking his back in slow, absent patterns.
"I don't know when I'll be able to trust you again," he admitted into the darkness.
Lin Yuè pressed a soft kiss to his collarbone.
"I'll wait," he whispered. "As long as it takes."
In the quiet penthouse, with the weight of betrayal still heavy between them, they held each other through the night — two broken people trying to survive the aftermath of truth.
The road ahead was long.
But neither was willing to let go just yet.
End of Chapter 55